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The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. We deplore the inadequate response of the Israeli and other world governments to the humanitarian crisis. The bombing of an already severely damaged population, half of which are children with a high prevalence of malnutrition, has already led to many hundreds of deaths and disabilities. The health services are under huge strain and having great difficulty in coping owing to lack of medical supplies and power generation.

We understand that bombing has destroyed the largest medicines and medical supplies store of the ministry of health in Gaza, which mainly supplies Shifa Hospital.

Gravely ill civilian patients, including children, are awaiting permission for evacuation to Israeli hospitals where admission has been agreed; many were injured in the bombing. Their transfer should be facilitated since they are too ill to travel to Egypt.

On humanitarian grounds, we appeal to the Israeli government to cease the bombing forthwith and allow the immediate transfer of sick patients to receive appropriate medical care, and also allow free access of medical supplies to Gaza.

Tony Waterston is a paediatrician in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, working mainly mainly in the community with long term conditions, disability, child abuse and social and mental health concerns. His interests are in child public health, children’s rights and global child health and he leads the RCPCH teaching programme in the occupied Palestinian territories.

As a British woman married to a Palestinian Gazan, I am tormented by the murder of innocent Palestinian citizens, most of whom are women and children. My husband’s family have been trapped inside the ground floor of their house for five days with dwindling electricity, cooking gas, food, and now water. They have been caged inside Gaza, however, for the past two years; borders have been closed so that no-one can freely leave or enter and basic needs have been rationed. Hamas has simply been a tool for the Israelis to justify their offensive in Gaza and the rocket fire from Gaza into surrounding Isreali towns was a direct response to Isreal’s tightening of the noose. When will it be time to stop Isreal? The Isreali zionists, the extremists in this war, believe that they are God’s chosen people. We can not appeal to them. It is OUR responsibility on a humanitarian front to force Isreal to stop its offensive and call to justice those who have spilt the blood of innocent people.

Farzana Nayeemuddin

I share the frustration of helplessness as the horrifying images of this conflict are displayed on TV. Israel can get away with cold blooded murder with the support of the US. Spilling blood of innocent people will never let Israel live in peace. Sadly, Israeli actions mirror those of the US in Iraq. Will President Elect Obama have the courage to make common sense prevail?

Mark Struthers

Democratic Israel is an utter disgrace, a disgrace to humanity. Only the US can control the senseless brutality of the Jewish state and the threat it poses to all humanity. Does the election of Obama offer hope the Palestinians and to the world? Sadly, the choice of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff was a sure sign that Obama will be as hopeless as his predecessor.

Jacqueline Block

I note that Dr Waterson and his colleagues make a unilateral appeal to the Israeli government “to stop the bombing forthwith..” Hamas’s avowed aim is the total destruction of Israel. Surely Dr Waterson et al are aware that were Israel unilaterally to ceasefire, Hamas would use the opportunity to regroup and restock its rocket arsenal with yet more lethal and longer range weapons smuggled through its network of tunnels under the Egyptian border. I fail to understand why Dr Waterson and his co-authors do not equally appeal to Hamas to stop firing rockets at innocent citizens in Israeli towns.

Dr Taimoor

I strongly support the appeal
KILLING innocent children with bombs from above . dont they have children of thier own , how heartless can Israeli govt be.
Stop killing humans please.
if only my plea would make a difference

Pearl, UK

How about appealing to both sides to lay down their arms?
Hamas using guerrilla warfare tactics against Isreal, causing IDF to bomb civillians as the cannon fodder to sway public opinion, speaks much of how they value the life of their fellow Arabs/Palestinians. I think it was Golda Meir who once said if the Arabs love their own people, half as much as they hate the Jewish people, there would be peace in the Middle East, or words to that effect.

Dr Hind Khalifeh

The ICRC and UNRWA report hindrance to medical aid effort and targeting of medical aid staff by Israeli army

In recent days, both the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UNRWA reported specific incidents where the Israeli army had either hindered their attempts to evacuate wounded civilians, or directly attacked their medical and aid staff and facilities- resulting in the deaths of civilians and UN aid personnel.

The ICRC reported that, on the 7th of January 2009, an Israeli army unit made it impossible for them to safely evacuate wounded and exhausted civilians in the neighbourhood of Zaytun in Gaza. The civilians had been discovered by ICRC personnel in houses shelled by Israel earlier that week, and included four starving children who were found next to their dead mothers- in a house that contained twelve dead bodies in total. (ref: http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/palestine-news-080109). An Israeli army unit, stationed only 80 metres away, refused ICRC ambulances access to evacuate the wounded, and demanded that ICRC personnel leave the neighbourhood. The ICRC were forced to evacuate 18 wounded, 12 others who were exhausted and two dead bodies on a donkey cart. “This is a shocking incident,” said Pierre Wettach, the ICRC’s head of delegation for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestine Red Crescent to assist the wounded.” This incident is a clear violation of international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded.

On the 6th of January, shells from two Israeli tanks hit an URWA school in Jabalya camp, where hundreds of civilians were sheltering from the continued Israeli assault, killing 40 civilians and injuring 50 others. UN officials in Gaza stated that the school was clearly marked with a UN flag, that the GPS co-ordinates had been provided to the Israeli army, and that Israeli army had full knowledge of the fact that the schools were being used to shelter a large number of internally displaced civilians. Initially the Israeli army claimed that they were responding to Hamas militants firing from within the compound, but these claims were later retracted- as reported by UNRWA officials: “I have been authorised to say that in private briefings with diplomats, the Israeli army has admitted that the rockets from Jabalya (two days ago) came from outside the UNRWA school compound, not from inside it. Therefore the allegations against a neutral UN human development organization were entirely baseless. This increases pressure for an independent investigation. ” (http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/statements/gaza_crisis/chris_gaza_crisis.html)
On the 9th of January. The UNRWA was forced to suspend its aid operation in Gaza because “Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army.” This followed an incident where one person had been killed and two hurt when a fork-lift truck on a UN aid mission came under Israeli tank fire at Gaza’s Erez crossing. The UN said the movements of the truck had been co-ordinated and cleared with the Israeli military. “We have suspended our operations in Gaza until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security,” said Unrwa spokesman Chris Gunness.
Under international humanitarian law, armies must do everything possible to search for, collect and evacuate the wounded. Attacks on medical staff, hospitals and vehicles are prohibited.
The above incidents are clear violations of international humanitarian law, reported by reliable, neutral humanitarian organisations. Israel continues to deny access to international aid agency personnel, human rights monitors and journalists, so that numerous other reports of human rights violations cannot be investigated. Reporting in the mainstream media of these incidents is almost always followed by statements from Israeli official spokespersons attempting to justify the incidents in terms of self-defence, or in terms of ignorance of the likelihood of excessive civilian casualties. Later retractions, as in the case of the UNRWA school shelling above, are rarely reported on – preventing a coherent and clear account of probable violations of humanitarian law. The medical community needs to call for an immediate ceasefire that would prevent further deaths and injuries amongst innocent civilians, and allow investigations into potential humanitarian law abuses and war crimes.

Dr Hind Khalifeh
University College London (UCL)

Dr Anthony Papagiannis

Indeed, we should demand of both sides in any conflict to lay down their arms and let the smoke settle. If a larger proportion of ceasefire appeals is directed toward Israel (not always with added or implied criticism), this is because Israel is [supposed to be] a well-ordered and civilized state that enjoys a high standard of living, education, and world standing, as opposed to the other side. Additionally, it possesses superior firepower and does not hesitate to use it indiscriminately. Therefore one would expect from Israel an proportionately higher level of responsibility. It’s as simple as that: the bigger you get the greater the burden you carry and the criticism you attract. Not without justification.

Y. Gazit

Dr Waterstone, where have you been for the last 7 years? I haven’t read a word concerning the shelling of southern Israel, daily! Have you ever visited Sderot before you scribbled your text? You live in a country that went to war for Falkland, thousands miles from the UK to defend its territory. We are fighting for our homes. What have we been we asking? to live and let live without rockets over our heads. As for the suffering of Gaza population, the Hamas was their choice and it brought the problems upon them. The Arabs excel in one thing; triger violence, and when retaliated they cry outloud, knowing that naive people like you and other ‘righteous’ will come to help.
The botttom line, since I’m not a politician, I can say what normal would have said if his life had been in danger, I don’t shed a tear for people of Gaza they brought it upon themselves, the security of my family comes first.

Y. Gazit

Y. Gazit

Dear Dr. Waterstone,

In your background (above)I read “he leads the RCPCH teaching programme in the occupied Palestinian territories”
Please could you explain what is exactely “The occupied Palestinian territories”? Just to be precise, Israel left Gaza entirely 3 years ago, and since it is occupied by the Hamas Terrorist Organization. As for the West Bank, it has never been a Palestinian territory but rather a Jordanian.

Y. Gazit

Safwaan Adam

It is clear what is happening in Gaza and Dr Waterston is totally correct in making this appeal. At the end of the day we are human, and to see other humans being mutilated like the way they are is hurtful, but this hurt is multiplied ten-fold when we think of the innocent children.
As for the comments below regarding appealing to both sides – those are totally fair as violence of either party will not be the solution to anything, however to quote Golda Meir is not very objective seeing she was a former Israeli Prime Minister and ofcourse denounced the existence of the Palestinian people in the first place.
Let us not forget that this is not a matter of ‘taking sides’ but a matter of stating facts – this is an onslaught in Palestine and the truth is that the Israeli blocking of humanitarian efforts is disgusting. These are crimes against humanity and one cannot defend their actions – try and do that by looking at the picture of an innocent little boy missing 3 limbs. Israel’s actions are not self defence – they are the actions of a bully.
Gaza and the West Bank are the world’s biggest jails, but even more inhumane than capturing these people by restricting them with huge walls, is to capture them and
then kill them in such a violent manner.
As doctors who fight so hard to save one life in the hospital, we cannot but have a strong opinion against those who are showing complete lack of respect for human life.

Nadeem Jilani

Israel’s actions in Gaza are deplorable. Attack on civillian homes, mosques, educational institutions and medical aid workers are war-crimes for which Israeli establishment should be held accountable.Unfortunately those who can stop this “holocaust” of our time and bring culprits to justice are too busy blaming the “victim” for political reasons. That has emboldened the aggressor to shed more blood of innocents.
I would like to remind Jacqueline Block that it is not at all about defending Israeli population from rocket fire. It is about continued subjugation and effective imprisonment of a whole population denying them basic human rights. It is about Zionists maintaining and expanding the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and demonising those who call for its end. Had Israel wanted peace and believed in two state solution, it would have reciprocated Hamas’ unilateral ceasefire for 6 months by lifting the crippling seige of Gaza and extended the ceasefire agreement.It chose to teach Hamas a lesson! It is also no secret that it is Israel which coninued killing Paletinians both in Gaza as well as in west bank during this so called truce period. So Israel is no angel of peace as Zionist propaganda machine wants us to believe but a monster in this conflict.
I congratulate Dr Waterson for highlighting plight of Gazans through this blog. It is time that all those who care about humanity, justice and peace, be they Christians, Jews,Muslims or Atheists speak in one voice; “enough is enough”. Medical fraternity should stand up to save the children caught up in this conflict.

Michael Ingram

Hamas has stated its aim- the eradication of the state of Israel. Like any terrorist organisation it is focused on achieving that aim. If it has to scarifice its own population be they in Gaza or as suicide bombers then that is for the “greater good”. If they have to murder fellow Palestinians in a civil war then it is just for their cause

To compare to two sides in any moral or etical term is an affront to humanity. In many moral or legal issues they key factor is intent. Hamas has made that clear its intent and that is to join Iran in creating another holocaust of the jewish people. Israels intent is to defend itslef from that and manitain its right to exist.

We need the noble and dedicated Dr Waterson’s to focus on trying to elevate the ordinary Palestinians above the ideological obsenities of their Government and they will then find willing Israeli ears to hear the message of peace, co-operation and rekindling of the medical cooperation that preceeded hamas

Oli

Whilst the humanitarian situation in Gaza is upsetting and should be addressed urgently, no state would have continued to allow itself to be hit by rockets on a daily basis by its neighbour without responding. The civilian death toll is shocking, but is not helped by Hamas using UN ambulances, school and hospitals to hide weapons, or the use of civilians as human shields. Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza should have been the big step towards peace that was needed, but instead Hamas declared that their military struggle had forced Israel to retreat and that it must be stepped up. Hamas failed to recognise that had it not been for attacks on Israel there would have been a Palestinian state without Israel army presence decades ago. The fact remains that if Hamas put down its arms Israel would stay well away and there would be far more peaces, where as if Israel put down its arms there would be no more Israel (Hamas, Hizbollah, Syria and Iran would see to that). Yes, most Palestinians are totally innocent in this and are not Hamas, but blame must be put on Hamas for refusing to recognise Israel and for firing rockets until Israel had no choice but to reply with force.

Mufaza

They go on about hamas firing rockets…please broaden your minds and look at why it started in the first place. Years of oppression, isolation, denial of basic human needs and living like prisoners on tehir own land, with the international community completely oblivious…frustration led to this situation. and now violence of this scale in this modern time is appaling. It is the worst example of double standards.
How can the “biggets democraies” in the world allow murder and terrorism of this magnitude and call it self defense. The world leaders including the poor Arab leadership should be ashamed of themselves.

Salim

The hidden agenda behind the current crisis and its timing speaks out loud & clear. The 18 month siege of Gaza and then bombardment for 19 days is a clear act of ethnic cleansing. Both Yitzak Rabin and Shimon Peres said back in the 1990s that they wished Gaza would just go away or drop into the sea, for Gaza is a constant reminder of the land they snatched away from the Palestinians. Their dream is being shaped and the excuse given is self defence from rockets fired by Hamas!!! There is a very serious man made humanitarian crisis in Gaza which is unbearable by any standard. At the end of the day Gazans are human beings and just like the Jews in Nazi Europe will be compelled to leave their beloved homeland. This is a well planned conspiracy with full backing of the war mongering US. The Israelis will then turn to the West Bank with similar acts of aggression.

Constance S.

It’s unfortunate that we justify the killing and maiming of innocent men, women and children because of the fault of a democratic system. Although Hamas was voted in it for sure was not voted in by everyone. Just as any democratic nation, despite who is elected, all people are governed by the ruling party whether they agree or not. This does not mean that they support the government’s actions good or bad.

It is obvious that Israel has no intention to consider that. They obviously see that all Palestinians living in Gaza are terrorists…even if they are young, innocent ones who never even heard of the word terrorist. They are guilty by association.

I find it so strange that the Israelis can target Hamas. Is their intelligence so good that it can spot a person and tell their affiliation? Do the Hamas wear t-shirts advertising who they are. Is it possible that they are the fathers, brothers, uncles, sisters etc. of innocent people? Is that then a justification of bombing homes, mosques, schools and hospitals killing and injurying 100’s to root out one or two?

It is all inhumane and insane. If what they were doing was right, they would at least allow the injured to receive their just do in terms of medical care.

As an American, I am appalled that my U.S. tax dollars are being used to continue an apartheid system and fund genocidal activities. Israel should be the last country where you would expect that would have suchinsensitivity to other human beings. Have not the messages of the Holocaust been lost on the very victims of it?

I am not the condoning bombing of Israel, although there are widely conflicting reports that they perpetrated the attacks by Hamas. But the degree and the “collateralism” is outrageous and unacceptable. It must stop. We must not allow for it to continue and America should be at the forefront to speak out and act against these true acts of terrorism.

Pearl

If we all broaden our mind and start from the beginning, a few facts would be clear to all.
The fight between Isreal and ‘Palestinians’is a continuation of Arab/Jew conflict in another form.
The Arabs would rather exterminate the Jews from middle east if they have the power and the means. That is the aim of Iran, who supplies rockets to both Hizbollah and Hamas. And that is the guiding philosophy of Hamaz. Egypt use to be the champion of this, and they led the other Arabs nations, Murfaza is appealing to ‘annihilate’ the Jews in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Isreal roundly defeated them even when they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned because they were simply fighting for thier existence. Is that not the genesis of the abandonement of fellow Arabs on this land, and they became known as ‘Palestinians’.

What is the name of the country that occupy where Gaza and West Bank is?
What is the name of the Arab nation that had Jerusalem as its capital in history? King David made Jerusalem the capital of Isreal 3000 years ago and for the past 2000 years, the Jews were driven away from their homeland by the Romans and hunted down in the Inquisition and the Holocaust.

The Arab armies asked the ‘Palaestinians’ to flee their homes to allow them cleanse the land of the ‘Zionists’ 60 years ago, unfortunately this has not happened how much they have tried. This has not dissuaded Iran and Hamaz from pursuing this philosophy.

Y. Gazit

This is to Constance S, or whoever behind this name:

An answer to your question “…Do the Hamas wear t-shirts advertising who they are….”

Well no, they don’t wear t-shirts, and neither the terrorists that blew up World Trade Centre in 09/11…

Take a few moments to read the article below, it might make you smarter…

I don’t understand why all the fuss about the objective and modest efforts by Waterston et al to address a humanitarian issue. He was harassed by the same propagandists we use to see elsewhere. I would understand this attitude from these people if Waterston is presenting a sole political standpoint. However, there is no excuse whatsoever for, supporting, the killing of more than 400 children and injuring more than 2000 and the toll is rising. Needless to tell about starving 1.5 m, bombarding houses, hospitals, schools, ambulances, universities etc.

I am sure that the writer would voice any concerns if he’d know about any shortage in medicine, food or water in Israel. All hospitals in Israel are well-equipped (thanks for tax-payers money from US and others). Actually, there is a surplus of everything in Israel including the unconventional weaponry they use to create the humanitarian crisis described by Waterston et al. Israel was not subject to an inhumane blockade or collective punishment for years. Do those people expect to see: “please, help Israel, give more money, their arsenal is running out and they need to kill more Gazans?” Any person, who supports or gives excuses for these genocidal crimes in Gaza, is just as criminal as the killer him/ herself.

For Pearl, it seems that you geographical knowledge is as bad as your historical one. Iran is not an Arab country. No more comments.

Y. Gazit

A. Sabra, I actually do have a comment.

It It is most likely that the computer and the software you’ve been using to type in your baloney are based on Israeli technology, and this includes the medical equipment in your Hospital. Please kindly remind me, what exactly the contribution of Arabs countries to the free world? Except for exporting oil….and terrorism. You ridicule Ms. Pearle on her geographic knowledge while yours is even worse. Some facts: Israel’s GDP is around $28,000 per capita and it comes from production. US aid is negligible, and we pay for it, it’s not free. One of your problems is that you live in fantasy, and after some time you begin to believe in this fantasy. I think you have been staying too long in the sun. I don’t subscribe to the numbers you’ve recited, the keyboards accepts everything. And, I don’t really think you and other are really care. You’re simply using this war to present Arab case in as underdogs. It works nicely on the Europeans but not on us.

Dr. Waterston is not harassed by no-one for his humanitarian activities. On the contrary, I think him and alike are saints. Honestly. I just don’t think my country should be blamed for trying to defend itself.

Pearl, UK

I have no objections to addressing humanitarian issues. And I wish they could be addressed in a vacuum, without making reference to the political points. As we have seen, it’s unfortunately impossible to do this. If Hamaz does not keep weapons in mosques, and schools and hide among civilians to fire rockets, Isreal would not deliberately bomb these places. No responsible country would sit by and watch a vicious armed group fire rockets into its civilian population without fighting back.

Thanks Sabra for letting me know that Iran is not an Arab country, if I mistake her for one, it’s because her thinking, murderous intentions and Jihadist rhetoric against Isreal is no different from the other Arab nations. It’s not helped by the fact that her ‘wipe Isreal off the map’ president turned up at Arab league meeting where the current Isreal vs Arab/Palestinian crisis was being discussed.

Security is beefed up in Isreal and the hospitals are well equipped because they place a high value on human life. The Arabs can turn Gaza into a paradise today if they so wish with the billions of oil money, but they would not, Iran & Syria would only smuggle more rockets and guns to Hamaz to obliterate Jews because they are ‘offspring of pigs and apes’. Have you ever ask yourself why the Arabs would not take care of their own refugees and leave them at the mercy of the American and European ‘infidels’ even though they have the means to do so?

These are the facts of the matter, and it’s not propaganda to state them. Mr Sabra, it would have been better for you to illuminate this page with your excellent knowledge of history as you know it.

Nadeem Jilani

Y. Gazit,
You need to open your eyes to the fact that our current knowledge of science and technology is based on the collective contribution of intelligent people of all races and geographical location throughout human history. To say that “Arabs have only contributed oil or terrorism” only shows how ignorant and biased you are. What Europe and western people consider “dark ages” was in fact a golden age of civilisation, from 600-1600 AD when Muslims, mostly Arab scientists, physicians, surgeons, architects and educationist kept the torch of scientific experimentations, discoveries alive. Contribution of Ibne-Sina (known as Avicenna in the west and Al-Razi (Rhazes)in the advancement of Medicine are immense. I can tell you about an excellent source where you can educate yourself further in this regard: (www.1001inventions.com & http://www.MuslimHeritage.com). I admire the way European, American, Chinese & Israeli scientists have taken that knowledge base to excellent heights and I can see that Muslims in general and Arabs in particular are no longer leaders in the field but that doesn’t change my perception that what Israel is doing in Gaza is wrong and immoral. Killing children in hundreds by tanks and F-16s in the ‘concentration camp’ of Gaza cannot be justified by whatever propaganda you spew out in support of Zionist state.

Y. Gazit

Mr. Jilani, your nostalgia to the past is really touching, it’s about time Muslim will roll over to their golden days era rather terrorizing us.
Using the world ‘concentration camp’ shows that your knowledge in history ends in 1942. I advice you to take a short tour in Ausweitz and Dachau, maybe you’ll learn something. You are merely a part of the herd that repeats the same rhetoric time and again.
Israel left Gaza three years ago. The Gazan could have built their lives and live peacefully side-by-side Israel, but they preferred to smuggle weapon into Gaza and shell Israelis towns. You should refer your complains to your darling Hamas who is cynically using the civilians as human shield. It is well known that Arabs hates each other guts, they are only united in their hatred to Israel. And this stands for the other Arabs posters here. It’s just about time that the Palestinians will love their children more than they hate us.

Knight

“Israel has the right to exist.”
What an outrageous thing to say!

Well, the only way for this Zionist entity to exist is by occupying the holy land, Palestine, stealing its resources, and either killing its legitimate residents or kicking them out!!!
And that’s what’s been happening since the early beginnings of this Zionist entity!

You can’t just steal the land, genocide the people, and then just call yourself a “country”!

That’s why Palestinians have the complete legitimate right to defend themselves, no matter what it takes!

Therefore, no! “Israel” does NOT have the right to exist.

Linda Smith

Knight: your thesis is built on a set of false assumptions and is not evidenced based. As such it is without merit and insults my intelligence as a scientifically trained reader of this journal.

Knight

I know that many people may think of what I have stated as “extremism”.. From my perspective, I think that is due to the fact that the mainstream media in the US and some EU countries are strong advocates for “Israel rights” to exist and bla bla bla (=kill as much as possible of the native people under many alibis and allegations, most famous of which is “security of Israel” as if it’s the security of this entity is all that matters, but as for the security of the Palestinian population and Palestine, then they just refuse to even say the word Palestine!)

I know that many people in the West, generally speaking, are used to consider anyone who defends the rights of the Palestinians to be some sort of an extremist.. I don’t live in the West, however, I have been tracking the views of the US mainstream media during the war on Gaza, and of course, the truth and reality of what really happened were far from even being close to correct! That must have left its effects on many Americans that don’t try to see what other media (that is not 100% pro-Israel!) had to say.

Anyhow, I have never heard of any debate whatsoever on the fact that “Israel” was created on a land that has been stolen of its legitimate residents by the British occupation in 1920! And since the Zionist lobby at that time was focusing on Britain and had nearly “owned” its decisions and responses to that issue (not much different now, only it’s the US instead of the UK!) Occupied Palestine was cold-bloodedly handed down to Zionist organizations, which have committed many many many massacres and have violated many international laws since then! So I don’t see why they would change now!

For whoever said that my statements are not evidence-proved, I can tell you that they are strongly proved by historical facts (that are not controversial unlike many other historical facts) but are rarely, if ever, spoken about or mentioned.

Many nations have fought for their land against invaders in history, Palestinians have been doing the same for over 80 years now! But unfortunately for them, the Zionist lobby made sure all the world biggest and strongest countries were to their side, supporting them in every way possible, most importantly militarily and politically. And of course for the US it’s been militarily, politically, financially, in the media, and in every other aspect!On the other hand, Palestinians have not received any support whatsoever, may be a little support from some neighboring countries that doesn’t really stand to that “Israel” has been receiving. But yet, Palestinians have not laid down the primitive home-made weaponry they are resisting with, they have not lifted the white flag, they have not accepted becoming slaves to the Zionist government, and that applies to Palestinians inside Gaza and the West Bank, and inside “Israel” as well.

I’m sorry for writing all that, but when talking about this issue we can’t reach a constructive path of discussion if we do not talk about the historical and political aspects.
We also cannot reach that constructive path of discussion if we use an insulting and demeaning language, as that some people on this page have used.

Y.Gazit: You have mentioned Hamas members using innocent citizens as “human shields”?!
I am sorry, I hope what I am going to say does not annoy you, but I advice to not to believe everything the media inside “Israel” says right away.. but to look for the truth everywhere and make sure the source you are using has a reasonable degree of integrity. I have seen with my own eyes “Israeli” soldiers using 10-16 year-old boys as human shields! strapping them to the windshields of army jeeps! I have seen with my own eyes “Israeli” army putting innocent Gazans before tanks while firing between those tanks and Hamas fighters is on!!!
I haven’t seen that on the ground, I have seen that on Algazeera international, if that wasn’t a war crime, then what in the name of God is it??!!

Helpful hand

Linda Smith needs proff OK:
Forstarters lets go with Ilan Pappe
senior lecturer in the University of Haifa Department of political Science and Chair of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestinian Studies in Haifa.
His books include, among others, The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (London and New York 1992), The Israel/Palestine Question (London and New York 1999), A History of Modern Palestine (Cambridge 2003), The Modern Middle East (London and New York 2005) and his latest, Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006).
see for article a links: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6374.shtml